Sponsored

48" vs. 60" Hi Lift Jack

Charky

Wildtrak
Well-Known Member
First Name
Duane
Joined
Oct 1, 2020
Threads
14
Messages
141
Reaction score
438
Location
Little Rock
Vehicle(s)
A7
Your Bronco Model
Wildtrak
Clubs
 
I suspect a 48" Hi Lift jack would be adequate for a squatched Bronco with steel bumpers and rock sliders as lift points, and it should be more easily stored. Anyone with experience with these jacks have an opinion on 48" vs. a 60"? Thanks.
Sponsored

 

AcesandEights

Banned
Badlands
Banned
Banned
First Name
Ace!
Joined
Nov 19, 2020
Threads
16
Messages
1,229
Reaction score
2,488
Location
Oregon
Vehicle(s)
DR650
Your Bronco Model
Badlands
I have experience and an opinion! I wouldn't bother. Hi-lift jacks are heavy and dangerous if you don't have experience using one in shitty conditions. Even with experience they are heavy, and can be dangerous. I'd much rather have a bottle jack, and in fact replaced my Hi-lift with a heavy duty bottle jack. It takes up much less room in the truck, rated the same and easier to use.

I will say though, they look cool with a couple Rotopax and set of MaxTrax recovery boards. Makes a vehicle look like a real off roader!

ETA: as far as hand-winching, they are rated at 5,000 lbs. Not enough if you're stuck in the muck.
 

SevenT

Badlands
Well-Known Member
First Name
Michael
Joined
Jul 9, 2020
Threads
24
Messages
898
Reaction score
1,724
Location
Colorado
Vehicle(s)
1970 U15 Sport Edition; 2021 AMB 4 Door Badlands
Your Bronco Model
Badlands
Clubs
 
48" is adequate. I use one on my 1970 that sits on 33s with a 3.5" lift. (y)
 
OP
OP
Charky

Charky

Wildtrak
Well-Known Member
First Name
Duane
Joined
Oct 1, 2020
Threads
14
Messages
141
Reaction score
438
Location
Little Rock
Vehicle(s)
A7
Your Bronco Model
Wildtrak
Clubs
 
I have experience and an opinion! I wouldn't bother. Hi-lift jacks are heavy and dangerous if you don't have experience using one in shitty conditions. Even with experience they are heavy, and can be dangerous. I'd much rather have a bottle jack, and in fact replaced my Hi-lift with a heavy duty bottle jack. It takes up much less room in the truck, rated the same and easier to use.

I will say though, they look cool with a couple Rotopax and set of MaxTrax recovery boards. Makes a vehicle look like a real off roader!

ETA: as far as hand-winching, they are rated at 5,000 lbs. Not enough if you're stuck in the muck.
Point well taken. Never been one of those "show" guys.
 

Sponsored

AcesandEights

Banned
Badlands
Banned
Banned
First Name
Ace!
Joined
Nov 19, 2020
Threads
16
Messages
1,229
Reaction score
2,488
Location
Oregon
Vehicle(s)
DR650
Your Bronco Model
Badlands
I thought about this more and my point wasn't very objective. It was curt, subjective and not really helpful Thought I'd be a little more verbose, haha.

A Hi-Lift jack is a few pieces of straight metal. Body panels usually aren't straight. As you lift, the vehicle moves away from you, things start moving in an arc, and often that straight piece of metal, that bar and lifting point shift. Then as you are lowering it the rounded sheet metal of the vehicle are not coming down in the same place as they went up relative to the Hi-Lift. The Hi-Lift can hit something that it wasn't going to hit on the way up and with the weight of the vehicle on that one point you're in a predicament. It's easier if you're using the Hi-Lift on a vehicle with straight sides (think Defender 90) or a piece of farm equipment that doesn't have body panels. If you have a good jacking point, without body panels or other vehicle body parts in the way it works a lot better. I've had a vehicle in the air and wondered how I was going to lower it without punching a hole in the rear quarter. All of this is compounded if you're not using it on a flat level surface. Use one on gravel, mud or snow and all bets are off as far as getting that vehicle up in the air and back down in a relatively straight line.

Another thing to consider is where the jack lifting point mounts relative to another style of jack (bottle jack for example) and what you're trying to lift. If you're changing a tire, the most efficient place to jack is closest to that tire, so the axle housing is probably the best place. Each stroke of the jack handle lifts the wheel in that case. If you're using your jack on just about any other place, you're losing efficiency by unweighting the suspension. The first part of your "lift" isn't impacting or lifting the tire/wheel, it's going through the range of suspension travel. If you have a 48" jack under a bumper that is 20" high you've only got another 28" of travel, except you don't. The usable length of the jack isn't 48" on a 48" jack. I don't remember the number exactly, but it's closer to 35" of range. So, your 20" bumper, lifting from there, you've got 15" of jack travel. Not commonly considered, but should be. So, you have 15" of lift, unweighting the suspension before you begin to move the tire. So, again, you have to consider where you're going to lift from, what point on the vehicle. There is no more efficient place than as close to the tire, under the axle. Lifting with a Hi-Lift is usually an inefficient method. If you're off road, you sometimes are lifting from the an odd place, which can make the Hi-Lift even less efficient. That being said, sometimes you have to get a bottle jack under some area that isn't easily accessible too, but if you have access, you have more efficiency. I've been in this predicament myself, you run out of clicks on the jack and wonder why a 48" jack isn't enough. You've got a vehicle in the air and you still don't have the tire off the ground and you're thinking, well, shit I guess someone should grab their little bottle jack, or how do we start stacking rocks and start over.

Space and weight is a consideration, but probably not very important to most. That being said, a jack stored outside, on the outside of the vehicle needs to be maintained more than one behind a passenger seat. If you buy a Hi-Lift, spray it with WD-40 or lube every now and then, and read the instructions. They aren't inherently dangerous, but are clumsy and can be finicky. Be aware of the handle position, so you don't get hit with a steel pipe. I haven't been hit, but have seen one come up quick as the vehicle came down and the jack skipped clicks or ratcheted down way too fast.

To answer your question though. If you're getting one, choose the 60", read the instructions twice, have them in a plastic zip lock stored in the handle and make sure the jack is lubed, keep the handle in the upright position whenever you don't have both hands on it, and then expect it to skip a notch or a few at any given time.
 
OP
OP
Charky

Charky

Wildtrak
Well-Known Member
First Name
Duane
Joined
Oct 1, 2020
Threads
14
Messages
141
Reaction score
438
Location
Little Rock
Vehicle(s)
A7
Your Bronco Model
Wildtrak
Clubs
 
Thanks @AcesandEights, appreciate the explanation. I've watched a few YouTube videos on the subject so now I'm an expert :rolleyes:.

Looks like the Hi-Lift can be a useful tool, but has several "watch-outs" that can't be ignored and must be respected while using. Without any first hand knowledge, the Safe Jack bottle jack with the various extensions and adapters seems like a solid option.

Thanks again.
 

BeechAV8R

Member
First Name
Roger
Joined
Feb 7, 2022
Threads
0
Messages
20
Reaction score
29
Location
Southern California / Northern Arizona
Vehicle(s)
Fusion Trophy Truck 7.0L LSX
Your Bronco Model
Undecided
I have experience and an opinion! I wouldn't bother. Hi-lift jacks are heavy and dangerous if you don't have experience using one in shitty conditions. Even with experience they are heavy, and can be dangerous. I'd much rather have a bottle jack, and in fact replaced my Hi-lift with a heavy duty bottle jack. It takes up much less room in the truck, rated the same and easier to use.

I will say though, they look cool with a couple Rotopax and set of MaxTrax recovery boards. Makes a vehicle look like a real off roader!

ETA: as far as hand-winching, they are rated at 5,000 lbs. Not enough if you're stuck in the muck.
My sentiments exactly! Hi-Lift jacks are accidents waiting to happen or waiting to do paint and body damage when they tip over. Plus they are heavy and not easy to store. Bottle jack is gonna be the best solution for the lowest cost.

Fun Story... After 20 years of having a Hi-Lift mounted to the spare tire carrier on my CJ7 I finally had to use it to relocate the front axle after breaking a leaf spring out on the trail. The Hi-Lift "climbing pins" were so rusted up that the jack was utterly useless. LOL
 
Last edited:

FOMOBRO

Black Diamond
Member
First Name
John
Joined
Feb 6, 2022
Threads
0
Messages
8
Reaction score
14
Location
San Antonio
Vehicle(s)
1966 Bronco U14, 2022 Bronco Black Diamond
Your Bronco Model
Black Diamond
Clubs
 
I thought about this more and my point wasn't very objective. It was curt, subjective and not really helpful Thought I'd be a little more verbose, haha.

A Hi-Lift jack is a few pieces of straight metal. Body panels usually aren't straight. As you lift, the vehicle moves away from you, things start moving in an arc, and often that straight piece of metal, that bar and lifting point shift. Then as you are lowering it the rounded sheet metal of the vehicle are not coming down in the same place as they went up relative to the Hi-Lift. The Hi-Lift can hit something that it wasn't going to hit on the way up and with the weight of the vehicle on that one point you're in a predicament. It's easier if you're using the Hi-Lift on a vehicle with straight sides (think Defender 90) or a piece of farm equipment that doesn't have body panels. If you have a good jacking point, without body panels or other vehicle body parts in the way it works a lot better. I've had a vehicle in the air and wondered how I was going to lower it without punching a hole in the rear quarter. All of this is compounded if you're not using it on a flat level surface. Use one on gravel, mud or snow and all bets are off as far as getting that vehicle up in the air and back down in a relatively straight line.

Another thing to consider is where the jack lifting point mounts relative to another style of jack (bottle jack for example) and what you're trying to lift. If you're changing a tire, the most efficient place to jack is closest to that tire, so the axle housing is probably the best place. Each stroke of the jack handle lifts the wheel in that case. If you're using your jack on just about any other place, you're losing efficiency by unweighting the suspension. The first part of your "lift" isn't impacting or lifting the tire/wheel, it's going through the range of suspension travel. If you have a 48" jack under a bumper that is 20" high you've only got another 28" of travel, except you don't. The usable length of the jack isn't 48" on a 48" jack. I don't remember the number exactly, but it's closer to 35" of range. So, your 20" bumper, lifting from there, you've got 15" of jack travel. Not commonly considered, but should be. So, you have 15" of lift, unweighting the suspension before you begin to move the tire. So, again, you have to consider where you're going to lift from, what point on the vehicle. There is no more efficient place than as close to the tire, under the axle. Lifting with a Hi-Lift is usually an inefficient method. If you're off road, you sometimes are lifting from the an odd place, which can make the Hi-Lift even less efficient. That being said, sometimes you have to get a bottle jack under some area that isn't easily accessible too, but if you have access, you have more efficiency. I've been in this predicament myself, you run out of clicks on the jack and wonder why a 48" jack isn't enough. You've got a vehicle in the air and you still don't have the tire off the ground and you're thinking, well, shit I guess someone should grab their little bottle jack, or how do we start stacking rocks and start over.

Space and weight is a consideration, but probably not very important to most. That being said, a jack stored outside, on the outside of the vehicle needs to be maintained more than one behind a passenger seat. If you buy a Hi-Lift, spray it with WD-40 or lube every now and then, and read the instructions. They aren't inherently dangerous, but are clumsy and can be finicky. Be aware of the handle position, so you don't get hit with a steel pipe. I haven't been hit, but have seen one come up quick as the vehicle came down and the jack skipped clicks or ratcheted down way too fast.

To answer your question though. If you're getting one, choose the 60", read the instructions twice, have them in a plastic zip lock stored in the handle and make sure the jack is lubed, keep the handle in the upright position whenever you don't have both hands on it, and then expect it to skip a notch or a few at any given time.
Agreed! All points. They can be tricky for sure, especially in the slop...but they will ALWAYS work to some degree. Sometimes a bottle jack isn't feasible, but would work better/safer in tandem with a Hi-Lift. I think the critical part here is....they look cool strapped to the truck. haha. 60" for sure on a truck this size. Proceed with caution and lubricate often.
Sponsored

 
 


Top